About

ABOUT SWANA FL

In 1961, a small group of local government solid waste program supervisors in the Los Angeles basin formed the Governmental Refuse Collection and Disposal Association (GRCDA) to provide a means for solid waste professionals to share information and promote training. By 1978, GRCDA had grown to about 900 members in 10 chapters in various western states and parts of Canada, hired its first executive director, and established its first permanent office in Washington, DC. It also recognized its first chapter on the east coast—in Florida.

In 1992, the association changed its name to the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) to reflect how the field had broadened to all aspects of municipal solid waste management and to appeal to a more diverse membership. Having grown and expanded its membership of public and private sector solid waste management professionals, SWANA is now the largest member-based solid waste association in the world with 47 chapters in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, and more than 11,000 members.

The SWANA Florida Sunshine Chapter was founded in 1978 with 7 members. The Chapter held its very first membership drive and conference in February 1979 at the Apollo Beach Holiday Inn with a technical tour of the then new Apollo Beach Transfer Station, which produced 40 new members. We are now the largest single SWANA chapter, serving more than 600 members statewide.